Vandemark's Folly by Herbert Quick
page 65 of 416 (15%)
page 65 of 416 (15%)
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"I wish I could have Mr. Wisner with me when I get to Southport," I said. "He'd help me. He is such a Christian man!" "Wal," said Bill, "I ain't as sure about him as I am about mothers. He minds me of a skipper I served under once; and he starved us, and let the second officer haze us till we deserted and lost our wages. He's about twice too slick. I'd give him the go-by, Jake." "And now for a boat," I said. "Wal," said Bill, "I'm sailin' to-morrow mornin' on the schooner _Mahala Peters_, an' we're short-handed. Go aboard an' ship as an A. B." I protested that I wasn't a sailor; but Bill insisted that beyond being hazed by the mate there was no reason why I shouldn't work my passage. "If there's a crime," said he, "it's a feller like you payin' his passage. Let's get a drink or two an' go aboard." I explained to the captain, in order that I might be honest with him, that I was no sailor, but had worked on canal boats for years, and would do my best. He swore at his luck in having to ship land-lubbers, but took me on; and before we reached Southport--now Kenosha--I was good enough so that he wanted me to ship back with him. It was on this trip that I let the cook tattoo this anchor on my forearm, and thus got the reputation among the people of the prairies of having been a sailor, and therefore a pretty rough character. As a matter of fact the sailors on the Lakes were no rougher than the canallers--and I guess not so rough. |
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